It’s nearly eight years since I started Thisaway, and it’s fair to say a lot has happened in that time.

Being the founder of an agency, you rarely get the chance to take stock and raise your head above the parapet, but for the best part of three years we have been talking about rebranding ourselves. However, finding the time amongst project work, producing our own case studies and everything else that comes with being an agency meant that it remained on our long ‘to-do’ list.

But here we are. We’ve only gone and done it. So why? And why now?

Well, the obvious thing to say is that the world, climate, politics and technology has shifted immeasurably. And whilst all of this global disruption was a factor, more importantly, our point of view on the world and the role of a branding agency within it, had changed.

It’s no longer about big, flabby agencies and the internal politics that comes with them. Or the fancy offices that inevitably increase the project fees. It’s about getting good, smart, talented ego-free people together to help solve clients' problems, and do the best work of their career.

We feel like we have always punched above our weight, but now felt like the right time to try and kick on and build something that felt more ambitious and bold, whilst staying true to ourselves.

When the team gathered to brainstorm our new brand, we discussed what we’re good at, what we’re not so good at, why clients choose us, what we want to do more of, and many other topics. It felt like a therapy session!

What stood out was that we now had much more belief and confidence in what we do and offer. We’ve delivered huge projects, led industry talks, won awards, and our portfolio is now a lovely mix of global brands, household names and interesting businesses. This led to a discussion about why these companies had chosen us, and in some cases, why clients had come back to us after moving roles.

After speaking with both past and present clients, what stood out was the feeling that we stood with them as an ally, fostering genuine relationships built on substance and smart thinking. These insights led us to our new idea.

‘Branding You Can Believe In’ is our promise to clients, and their customers. In a world where consumers demand so much more from brands, believing isn’t enough. We want people to believe IN the brands we create. To buy into their purpose and values just as much as the products and services they offer.

Our new idea communicates the benefit we bring to every project, and speaks to our aim of creating brands based on compelling truth and refreshing authenticity — as well as the honesty, passion and trust we bring as a team.

It works as a litmus test for ourselves too. We don’t do waffle or pseudo-marketing speak so if our clients don’t believe in the ideas and solutions we deliver then we aren’t doing our job.

It also helps us choose who we work with. As an independent agency, we aren’t at the mercy of holding companies or investors. Like everyone, we have bills to pay, but we can decide to work with companies or products we truly believe in.

‘Truth and Dare’, however, encapsulates how we deliver 'Branding You Can Believe In'. It’s the ‘how’ that sits behind the ‘what’ we promise.

Finding truth in today's world has never been harder. But when you do, it still has huge power. We believe when you find an honest and authentic business truth and combine it with bold originality, you produce brands that will stand out more and resonate deeper. And in a world where AI is becoming increasingly prevalent, brands need to understand humanity better and be far more daring with those insights to stand out.

Going through our own rebranding process has shone a light on what we try to do everyday for our clients and the subsequent benefits. It’s brought a new energy to the studio, pulled the team together and given us a clear idea of where we want to go. It’s made us believe in ourselves.

Who knows what the future might bring, but knowing what we believe in gives us a great foundation to do our best work in the years ahead.

Thisaway has a new direction. We look forward to seeing where it takes us.